Card supported package



Feb. 18, 1969 M. a. BLISH 3,428,171

CARD SUPPORTED PACKAGE Filed Jan. 13, 1966 invenior United States Patent3 Claims This invention relates to packaging and more particularly tothe type of packaging which provides means for enclosing a unit ofproduct within a relatively thin walled plastic covering which issecured to a supporting card of paperboard or the like.

The package is ordinarily assembled with the plastic covering firmlysecured at its peripheral edge to the supporting card.

The present invention provides an improved package of this type which isrelatively inexpensive to manufacture, having novel and advantageousstructures which enable the consumer to readily open the unit containingcavity in a time-saving and convenient manner.

Further details and advantages of the invention will be apparent fromthe following specification and appended drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the inventionshowing the assembled package.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the package in FIG. 1 showing the unitcontaining cavity in an open position.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the plasticcovering of the package.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the supporting card of thepackage.

Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawings in which similarlynumbered characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in thevarious views, and specifically referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, thenumeral denotes the supporting card, which is made of firm sheetmaterial such as cardboard. The unit of product containing cavity 11 isformed of a plastic covering, which is preferably transparent, and isprovided an open base 12 having a flange 13 disposed contiguous to theperipheral edge of the base 14. The base flange extends laterallyoutward from the peripheral edge of the base and the back face surfaceside 15 of the base flange is secured flush to the front face surfaceside 16 of the supporting card. The supporting card is provided aweakened line having a portion 17 of the weakened line extendingoutwardly beyond the outer peripheral edge 18 of the base flange. Aportion 19 of the weakened line of the base flange is disposedlongitudinally of the base flange and a portion 20 of the weakened lineof the base flange extends to the outer peripheral edge of the baseflange.

The unit containing cavity is shown containing a product 21 whichrepresents a retail hardware item in the form of a padlock, for thepurpose of illustration. Obviously, the unit containing cavity of thepresent invention may be formed to receive a variety of products ofdifferent sizes and shapes.

The unit containing cavity is quickly and easily opened for removal ofthe packaged product by means of fingergripping action as shown in FIG.2. A portion of the weakened line of the supporting card is disposedunderlying the weakened line of the base flange, and severance of theweakened line of the base flange is induced during severance of theportion of the weakened line of the supporting card underlying theweakened line of the base thereby detaching a portion of the base flangefrom a portion of the body of plastic materialcomprising the unitcontaining cavity and facilitating opening of the unit containing cavityfor removal of the packaged product.

The weakened line of the base flange, as shown in the fragmentaryportion of the plastic covering in FIG. 3

ice

is disposed so that it is alignable in overlying relation with a portionof the weakened line of the supporting card fragmentary portion shown inFIG. 4. While the plastic covering of the preferred embodiment of thepackage is of generally rectangular configuration having a curved lowerperimeter provided portions of the weakened line of the base flangeextending outwardly to the peripheral edge of the base flange disposedat its opposing sides, it is to be understood that a single weakenedline of the base flange extending outwardly to the peripheral edge ofthe base flange may be employed, if desired, to coopmate with a singleweakened line of the supporting card extending contiguous to theperipheral edge of the supporting card having a portion of the weakenedline underlying the single weakened line of the base flange and theportion of the weakened line of the base flange disposed longitudinallyof the base flange. The employment of the single weakened line of thestructure is contingent upon the shape and size of the unit of productto be packaged and the extent of opening required of the plasticcovering to conveniently remove the product from the unit containingcavity.

The type of card supported package herein described and shown, and forwhich this invention especially provides improvement through novel andadvantageous opening means, is well known to those skilled in the art.Since various modifications of the improvement may occur to thoseskilled in this art, it is to be understood that it is not intended ordesired to limit the present invention to the exact constructionsdescribed and shown. Arrange ments other than those described herein orshown in the drawings in detail may be produced without departing fromthe scope and spirit of the invention, and it is to be understood thatall matter contained in the foregoing descriptions or shown in theaccompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense; that certain changes from the exact shapes orconstructions shown, or materials described, and fully comprehended bythe spirit of the invention may be made without affecting the scope andspirit of the invention as hereinafter described, the scope of theinvention being defined in the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a card supported package adapted for packaging a unit of product,comprising a supporting card having a front face side and an opposingback face side, a weakened line provided on the supporting cardterminating substantially contiguous to the peripheral edge of said supporting card, a covering of relatively thin walled formable plasticmaterial disposed at said front face side of the supporting card andhaving a body comprising a unit containing cavity, said unit containingcavity provided with an open base having a flange disposed contiguous tothe peripheral edge of the base defining a base flange extending outwardof the peripheral edge of said base, said base flange having a back faceside secured substantially flush to the supporting card front face side;the base flange provided with a weakened line disposed longitudinally ofthe base flange and a portion of the weakened line extendingsubstantially to the outer peripheral edge of said base flange, thesupporting card provided with a weakened line extending outward beyondthe outer peripheral edge of the base flange terminating substantiallycontiguous to the peripheral edge of said supporting card and a portionof the weakened line disposed underlying the weakened line of the baseflange, whereby severance of the base flange weakened line is inducedupon severance of a portion of the supporting card weakened lineunderlying the weakened line of the base flange, thereby detaching aportion of the base flange from a portion of the body of plasticmaterial and facilitating opening of the unit containing cavity forremoval of contents packaged within said unit containing cavity.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1, in which the weakened line ofthe base flange is provided with two opposing portions extendingsubstantially contiguous to the outer edge of the base flange and thesupporting card provided with a weakened line having two opposingportions extending outward from the outer peripheral edge of said baseflange terminating substantially contiguous to the peripheral edge ofsaid supporting card.

3. In a card supported package of the class described, the combinationcomprising a weakened line provided on a plastic material base portionhaving a cavity adapted to contain a packaged product, a portion of saidweakened line disposed longitudinally of the unit containing cavity andat least one end of the weakened line terminating outwardly of saidcavity contiguous to the peripheral edge of said base portion, asupporting card provided with a weakened line having a portionunderlying the weakened line of the plastic material base and a portionextending outwardly of the base portion terminating substantiallycontiguous to the peripheral edge of said supporting card.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,025,952 3/1962 Phipps 20678 X3,174,621 3/1965 Watson 206-78 3,115,243 12/1963 Nash 206-52 3,165,2341/1965 Conklin et al 22951 3,255,880 6/ 1966 Grossman 20678 JOSEPH R.LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

J. M. CASKIE, Assistant Examiner.

'U.S. C1. X.R. 2065 6; 229-51

1. IN A CARD SUPPORTED PACKAGE ADAPTED FOR PACKAGING A UNIT OF PRODUCT,COMPRISING A SUPPORTING CARD HAVING A FRONT FACE SIDE AND AN OPPOSINGBACK FACE SIDE, A WEAKENDED LINE PROVIDED ON THE SUPPORTING CARDTERMINATING SUBSTANTIALLY CONTIGUOUS TO THE PERIPHERAL EDGE OF SAIDSUPPORTING CARD, A COVERING OF RELATIVELY THIN WALLED FORMABLE PLASTICMATERIAL DISPOSED AT SAID FRONT FACE SIDE OF THE SUPPORTING CARD ANDHAVING A BODY COMPRISING A UNIT CONTAINING CAVITY, SAID UNIT CONTAININGCAVITY PROVIDED WITH AN OPEN BASE HAVING A FLANGE DISPOSED CONTIGUOUS TOTHE PERIPHERAL EDGE OF THE BASE DEFINING A BASE FLANGE EXTENDING OUTWARDOF THE PERIPHERAL EDGE OF SAID BASE, SAID BASE FLANGE HAVING A BACK FACESIDE SECURED SUBSTANTIALLY FLANGE TO THE SUPPORTING CARD FRONT FACESIDE; THE BASE FLANGE PROVIDED WITH A WEAKENED LINE DISPOSEDLONGITUDINALLY OF THE BASE FLANGE AND A PORTION OF THE WEAKENED LINEEXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE OUTER PERIPHERAL EDGE OF SAID BASEFLANGE, THE SUPPORTING CARD PROVIDED WITH A WEAKENED LINE EXTENDINGOUTWARD BEYOND THE OUTER PERIPHERAL EDGE OF THE BASE FLANGE TERMINATINGSUBSTANTIALLY CONTIGUOUS TO THE PERIPHERAL EDGE OF SAID SUPPORTING CARDAND A PORTION OF THE WEAKENED LINE DISPOSED UNDERLYING THE WEAKENED LINEOF THE BASE FLANGE, WHEREBY SEVERANCE OF THE BASE FLANGE WEAKENED LINEIS INDUCED UPON SEVERANCE OF A PORTION OF THE SUPPORTING CARD WEAKENEDLINE UNDERLYING THE WEAKENED LINE OF HE BASE FLANGE, THEREBY DETACHING APORTION OF THE BASE FLANGE FROM A PORTION OF THE BODY OF PLASTICMATERIAL AND FACILITATING OPENING OF THE UNIT CONTAINING CAVITY FORREMOVAL OF CONTAINS PACKAGED WITHIN SAID UNIT CONTAINING CAVITY.